Very strange story from Jo Nesbo. At first I thought this was a young adult novel, but then it introduced more adult themes. Unsure if this suffered from translation issues or if this is just an odd book. Unsatisfying story with a predictable and silly ending. This book feels very much like an outlier among Nesbo's Harry Hole sereis and more crime driven stand alone books.

This book was so fantastically written, scary, gripping, suspenseful. I read it in one short weekend while on a camping trip and it was the perfect amount of spooky and gripping to keep me turning the page. If you are a fan of fight club and shutter island, buckle up for this ending cause holy cow!

So so good, 10/10 would recommend.

This one hurts.

Let's start with what I liked. This cover. Need I say more? Gorgeous. The premise on the surface. Loved. Prank calls ending with your friend getting sucked into the phone? Yes! Sadly, this is where it ended for me.
This book is broken up into 3 parts. The first part reads like YA horror. It started off strongly with some bizarre things happening to our MC's friends, then it started to meander a bit. I was okay with things still, but it was becoming a bit mediocre. At about 60% you get to part 2 and things change. You think "are you kidding me?". It reads very fever-dreamish, and I felt duped. At this point I am far enough into the book I will finish it. Around 85% you get to part 3. Insert expletives here. I'm sure Nesbo thought he was being very clever. It felt like a cheap cop out to me. In the end, I felt like I wasted my time taking this novel seriously

This is my first Jo Nesbrø read, and it was full of twists and turns. This is a fun spooky season read, as we follow the main character as they try to prove their innocence in crime that feels supernatural. 3/5

A tense thriller for fans of the genre. This book grabbed me immediately and didn't let go until the last page.

I really wanted to like this book, but it just was sooo hard to get into and felt like it dragged on and on for me. It just wasn't holding my attention.
This a probably a me problem and not a book problem.

There were a few plot twists. The author was def trying to be creative and used the small town and new kid on the block as a creep effect.
*heads up there are some phobic elements (fat and homo) from the main character-Richard.
I was not a fan of him and did not like him at all he was a jerk in my opinion. I mean maybe that is part of the reason I couldn't get into this book, idk. But I do know that not liking a main character can make you dislike other things that you might not normally be annoyed with.

So like I said I just couldn't get into this book, even though this book was not for me.... I feel like if you read the blurb and you think it sounds good by all means def go give it a try.

I was given the opportunity to read this book from NetGalley. The above is my review/opinion it is honest, my own and voluntary.

Sadly, The Night House was a complete flop for me. I get it. The format, and certain aspects, were creative and I give props for that, but in order to get there, it had to utilize certain plot devices that are a huge turn off for me. It hurts me to rate this low, but I rate based on my reading experience and this was not a good one.

In this story we meet 14-year old, Richard Elauved, who moves in with his Aunt and Uncle after his parents pass away in a tragic house fire. As if the loss of his parents wasn't bad enough, the move puts Richard in a new school, and at 14, it's not comfortable to be the new kid. Ballantyne is a small town as well, and since Richard is from a city, its a big change for him.

Although he is an outsider, Richard does make a couple of friends. Unfortunately, one of these friends, Tom, goes missing after he and Richard are hanging out one afternoon. Richard claims Tom got sucked through an old phone receiver, but of course, no one believes him, except for Karen. One of the few other friends he has made. Karen is an outcast as well and instead of laughing at Richard's story, she encourages him to pursue it, and to hunt down the clues the police refuse to investigate.

After another classmate disappears after spending time alone with Richard, it's more important than ever for Richard to prove he's innocent. Richard would never hurt anyone, would he?

This story could essentially be broken down into three parts. For me, the first most closely resembled what I thought I had signed up for and although I thought Richard was a jerk, some of the plot developments were interesting. By Act II, I was sort of ticked that it took a particular sharp turn, then by Act III, I was over it completely.

Needless to say, I can appreciate the thought that Nesbø put into the construction of this story, and I do feel like it is a bit of a clever take on some classic themes. It does feel like Nesbø's read some R.L. Stine. If he hasn't, I would be surprised, because this does mirror some of the early Goosebumps tone quite a bit in the first section. From there it gets progressively more Adult, but I digress.

In spite of the fact that this wasn't a hit for me, I know a lot of Readers will have fun with it. If the plot devices suit your tastes, you could end up loving it. I encourage everyone who thinks it sounds interesting to give it a go.

Thank you to the publisher, Knopf, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Regardless of the outcome, I'm glad I gave it a shot!

My thanks to Knopf, Jo Nesbo and Netgalley.
So, I've always said that out there books are never too far out there..well I suppose that I've finally found a story that says I'm a tall, scrawny assed liar!
This was just too effing ridiculous! It was a weird story that became too much.
I'm putting this down to a brain fart.
I've still every intention of reading other Nesbo books, but this was really a waste of time.

This was my first read by this author. I enjoyed that the events started right away and that the narrator was established to be unreliable; this, I believe, built up anticipation. There were three twists, which were predictable but not any less entertaining.

The Night House by jo Nesbo is a horror story that starts with a very interesting scene and sets up a very engaging storyline.
"No one believes him (fourteen-year-old Richard Elauved) when he says the telephone booth out by the edge of the woods sucked Tom into the receiver like something out of a horror movie. No one, that is, except Karen, a beguiling fellow outsider who encourages Richard to pursue clues the police refuse to investigate."
I zoomed through first half of the book at a fast pace, but then it all came to a screeching halt and shifted lanes on me. And I found myself missing the story before the surprise shift.
It is overall an enjoyable book, and I still enjoyed it a great deal.
Thanks to #NetGalley, #Knopf, and Jo Nesbo for the ARC of #TheNightHouse.

First of all, obsessed with the cover. I’m a sucker for cool covers. I love how this story is shorter and doesn’t have a lot of filler to it. Well developed spooky haunted house book!

This is the first Jo Nesbo book I have read and could very well be the last. I am not a fan of science fiction and this book is filled with that. I thought the beginning was decent but confusing but when Part 2 and 3 came into play, I was not engaged. The story centers around a character who is troubled but one doesn't understand how much. The story was disjointed and hard to follow. I am definitely not a fan.

Fourteen-year-old Richard Elauved finds himself uprooted and sent to live with his aunt and uncle in the remote and isolated town of Ballantyne after his parents die tragically in a house fire. In his new home, Richard becomes an outcast and is blamed when a classmate named Tom goes missing. He claims that a mysterious telephone booth near the woods is responsible for Tom's disappearance, sucking him into the receiver like a scene from a horror movie. However, nobody believes his story, except for Karen, another social outcast, who encourages Richard to investigate when the police refuse to take action. Following the number Tom called from the phone booth, Richard stumbles upon an abandoned house in the Black Mirror Wood and catches a glimpse of a terrifying face in the window. Soon, he starts hearing eerie whispers in his ear.

This relatively short novel, spanning 224 pages, delivers a compelling and engaging narrative with different writing styles across its sections. It captivates readers with its eerie and enigmatic atmosphere right from the start, blurring the lines between reality and the unknown. The story weaves multiple layers, with a story within a story, keeping readers intrigued and engaged. Richard's character development is well-executed, and the setting offers a perfect blend of fun and creepiness throughout the narrative. Jo Nesbo's writing is a standout feature of this captivating book.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The book is in three parts, with the first part taking the majority of the novel. I flew through Part One, and thought about finishing up the novel right away, but I instead waited until the next morning to pick it up again. Besides, my heart was beating so fast after that thrill ride that I needed rest. When I did start Part Two, I was initially confused by what was going on. But Nesbø’s storytelling is so detailed that I understood quickly. Part Three tied everything together beautifully. We meet 14-year-old Richard Elauved, who has recently moved to live with his aunt and uncle in the town of Ballantyne after his parents' tragic deaths in a house fire. He quickly becomes an outcast at school, and he is the prime suspect when his classmate Tom goes missing. Because, you see, Richard was with Tom when he disappeared -- and no one believes him when he insists that Tom was eaten by payphone. When another classmate disappears in Richard's presence, Richard must set out to prove his innocence by any means necessary -- even if it means venturing into the Night House...and venturing deeper into his own mind. There was plenty of gruesome and scary scenes but also a psychological factor that really added to the reading experience.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor

Told in three parts, the first two were really creepy and the third was the resolution that explained it all in a not so creepy way, and was in fact the least favorite of mine. I did not like the utilization of mental illness in here also, especially when the first two parts were done so well and would have allowed for a better resolution. I don’t want to give any more away so I will leave it at that, but I was disappointed with how this was done. I am a fan of Nesbo’s crime thrillers, and am looking forward to what he writes next.

I do want to note that the audiobook is very well done, Michael Crouch did a wonderful job with this one and so I think audio is the way to go when reading this.

Thank you to Knopf and PRH Audio for the copies to review.

Thank you to the author and to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In the wake of his parents' tragic deaths in a house fire, fourteen-year-old Richard Elauved has been sent to live with his aunt and uncle in the remote, insular town of Ballantyne. Richard quickly earns a reputation as an outcast, and when a classmate named Tom goes missing, everyone suspects the new, angry boy is responsible for his disappearance. No one believes him when he says the telephone booth out by the edge of the woods sucked Tom into the receiver like something out of a horror movie.

This was my first Jo Nesbro book and I did enjoy it. The first part definitely has a Stanger Things vibe, but I enjoyed the second half of the story more as it jumps to 15 years later in Richard's life. This half reminded me of Paul Trembley's Head Full of Ghosts. To be honest, half way in I was leaning towards not finishing it, but I'm glad I hung in there as I enjoyed the ending. In my opinion, the ending could be open to interpretation. I know I think what happened but it could be interpreted in another way.

If this book were a pumpkin, it would be the spookiest in the patch. Honestly that first chapter made me happy that phone booths are a thing of the past. It’s bonkers wild…and once I started The Night House I couldn’t stop. I don’t know what that says about me, but just know if this book gets optioned into a movie…I won’t be watching it(haha).
In this gruesome book, fourteen-year-old, Richard Elauved has been sent to live with his aunt and uncle in the small town of Ballantyne after his parents tragically die in a house fire. When his friends start to go missing, everyone is eager to point that finger at Richard cause that’s the only reasonable explanation. But Richard knows there is something dark & sinister lurking in the town of Ballantyne, and he hopes to shed enough light to prove his innocence. My hot🔥tip: don’t read the synopsis & stay away from phone booths.

This started right off the bat and sucked me right in, pun intended. It was completely out there, reminding me at times of some of Stephen King's older short stories. There were so many odd, surreal moments where I was wondering what I just read but then it came together so brilliantly in the end, leaving behind any critique I had. This is completely out there, yet genius. Four Stars.

This is a tough one to review without giving too much away. I will say that my favorite part of the book was the first section. I felt a little disappointment after the early chapters that the book didn't go where I was expecting, but it ended up ok. (I did really like that first section though)

This is fairly mild horror, but still had a creepy vibe throughout the book. It was enjoyable, but didn't keep me up all night. I enjoyed reading something new from this author.

Such great horror by Nesbo, which isn't surprising. I loved this read and was shook for days after reading it. Definitely add this to your list.